Get Fit While You Watch TV

According to a recent MSNBC.com article, the average person watches more than four hours of TV each day. And 40 minutes of that time is spent watching commercials!

The article suggests that we utilize our commercial time wisely. Their suggestion: Use that time to exercise, and you'll painlessly get 40 minutes of fitness a day--or more than 4 hours a week!

Here are some suggestions that can help you get fit while you watch TV:

� Make it convenient: You're more likely to exercise if all your props are handy. Keep a basket by the sofa that holds exercise equipment like a yoga mat, hand weights, resistance bands or a jump rope.

� Have a plan: Alternate exercises so you don't get bored. Plan to jump rope or do strength training exercises during commercial breaks

� Challenge yourself: Mix things up with a fun challenge. For example, challenge yourself to do as many pushups as possible during a single commercial. Or see how many crunches you can do during one commercial break.

Wondering what type of exercises you can do in your living room? Try one of these suggestions:

Cardio/Aerobic: Running or jogging in place, jumping rope, jumping jacks, shadow boxing, kickboxing drills, squat thrusts, mountain climbers, dancing

Strength training: Dumbbell exercises or resistance band exercises like bicep curls and chest presses, bodyweight exercises like crunches and pushups

Flexibility: Basic stretches, yoga poses